PRESS RELEASE (Not for publication before 18.1.11, 11 a.m.)
The biotechnology sector is once again looking more optimistically to the future – increases in jobs and R&D investments are expected
Berlin (18 January 2011) – German biotech companies expect that their situation will continue to improve this year. Early indicators show that a more favourable future business situation and an increase in jobs and R&D investments can be expected. This was revealed by a survey by the biotechnology industry sector association, BIO Deutschland, in cooperation with the sector magazine, |transkript. The results of this established barometer of the sector were presented at a press conference in Berlin today.
Peter Heinrich, Chairman of the Board of BIO Deutschland, summed up as follows:“We are pleased that the biotechnology sector is once again looking more positively to the future and that this optimism among entrepreneurs has risen to its pre-crisis level.”
Expectations of the future business situation were particularly positive, as Viola Bronsema, Managing Director of BIO Deutschland, explained. She said that the mood index had increased by over five points to 98 points. According to the expectations of the some 200 companies who took part in the survey, R&D investments will also increase this year. This is indicated by the index value of 95.5 points, which rose by around four points. The companies believe that this will also lead to the creation of new jobs. The value of the employment index rose by two points to 95.3 points. Bronsema stated that the assessment of the current political parameters in Germany had also improved, with the political mood index increasing by five points to 96.7 points. On the other hand, the evaluation of the current situation remained more or less unchanged, with its value of 94.7 points at the same level as last year, as did that of the future political climate (at -1 point to 91.2 points, just below the level of the previous year).
Patrick Dieckhoff, Editor-in-Chief of |transkript commented,“The survey data indicate a positive development in the German biotechnology sector this year. The general economic recovery could thus have an impact on the sector.”
As the biotechnology news magazine |transkript also established, around 600 million euro wereinvested in German biotechnology companies in 2010, which meant that the investment value of the previous year more than doubled.
Commenting on this, Peter Heinrich said, “The majority of the innovatively active biotech companies still need significant amounts of venture capital to be able to rapidly drive their research and development projects forward.”He added that most of the funds invested last year came from a few investor sources and were only of benefit to a very small number of biotechnology companies. “Germany’s innovative companies urgently need the political sphere to provide more investment-friendly parameters so that the location will once again become attractive to investors.”
The individual index values were as follows:
–Expectations of the future business situation: +5 pointsto 98points (2010: 92.6 points)
–Current business situation: constant at94.6 points (2010: 94.7 points)
–R&D investment index: +3.6 Points to 95.5 points (2010: 91.9 points)
–Employment index: +2 pointsto 95.3 points (2010 93.3 points)
–Current political parameters: +5 pointsto 96.7 points (2010: 91.1 points)
–Future political parameters: constant at 91.2 points (2010: 92.1 points)
You will find the results of the company survey and graphics at
Notes to editors:
Survey information:
To date, BIO Deutschland and |transkript have conducted five surveys of 1000 biotechnology companies and branch-specific service providers. 184 of them returned the questionnaire this year. The aim is to predict development in the present year usingthe survey as abarometer of the climate in the sector. The index values are calculated and established by a method similar to that used by the IFO Institute. The values mainly represent the difference between positive and negative answers. The norm values are based on the results from 2006.
BIO Deutschland:
With over 260 members, including companies, BioRegions and sector service providers, the Berlin-based Biotechnology Organisation of Germany (BIO Deutschland) aims to support and promote the development of an innovative economic branch based on modern biosciences in Germany. Dr Peter Heinrich (CEO of MagForce AG) is the Chairman of the Board of BIO Deutschland.
Further information is available at
BIO Deutschland’s supporting members are:
berlinbiotechpark GmbH, Celgene GmbH, CMS Hasche Sigle, Commerzbank AG, Deutsche Bank AG, EBD Group, Ernst & Young AG, KPMG AG, Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, MLaw Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschlandand TVM Capital GmbH.
|transkript:
The monthly life sciences journal, |transkript, reports on biotechnology in the German-speaking areas of Europeand has a circulation of 10,000 copies. The journal is now in its seventeenth year of publication and is published by BIOCOM. |transkript is recognised for having established itself as the leading trade journal dealing with the topics of biotechnology in the economy, society and specialist applications.
Further information is available at
Contact Information:
BIO Deutschland e.V.
Dr Pablo Serrano
Tegeler Weg 33 / berlinbiotechpark,
10589 Berlin
Tel.: +49-30-3450-593-32
Fax: +49-30-3450593-59
E-Mail:
|transkript:
Dr Patrick Dieckhoff
Stralsunder Str. 58-59
13355 Berlin
Tel.: +49-30-264921-41
Fax: +49-30-264921-11
E-Mail: